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“Why not? They’re trying to kill us.”
If their plan to blow up the Hall of Peace was completely successful, they might have murdered a thousand nobles. “Do we kill millions for a thousand lives? We can maintain the shields for as long as it takes for them to stand down. Then we can take out the leaders—and open communication so that it doesn’t happen again.”
“Look who’s suddenly interested in the world,” Maelys says with a chuckle. “Alis, we’ve been trying the communication route for decades. This is where it led. We need to set an example.”
“They have a point.” My jaw falls, as I stare at Reiks in disbelief. “If we make an example now, it won’t happen again anytime soon. We don’t have to kill everyone.”
I’m speechless.
“On my mark,” Mar says. “Ready…steady.” She closes her fist, and the protective dome enclosing our gates disappears. “Fire at will.”
And they do fire. Every single witch on our side. The Frejr. The warlocks from the dunes of Dorath. The nature folk of Flaur. The lower ice demons of Ravelyn. Every single one of them casts their most destructive magic onto the throng of common folks desperate for a voice, for change, for food.
I watch helplessly until the first scream unlocks something in me. It’s a kid. She can’t be much older than seventeen. I watch as her very essence burns bright, and I move, ignoring the pain. Pain is irrelevant to me. My body’s a minor part of what I am at the core: a creature born of light. I’m by her side before she falls in a pile of ashes. My hand reaches out to her shoulders and the fire recedes, her skin reforming under my palm. Then I reach out toward Five, and every single spell cast moves towards me.
I absorb them all, fire and ice churning inside me. My skin burns and freezes, my insides melt and reform.
A wave of pure rage inside me tells me to push all of that magik right back at them. They’re in the wrong for stepping over commons like inconsequential ants. But among the sea of stunned faces, I see Reiks. He’s the only reason I can hold back.
When it’s over, there’s nothing but silence on both sides.
“This is over,” I call, staring at Mar.
She’s gaping at me, but she hides her surprise, and nods once.
On the rebel side, I hear, “Kill her!”
“Kill the witch.”
“Take her down!”
No one moves despite the bold words. They’ve seen me take on a hundred different spells meant to obliterate everything in their path. What’s a little knife gonna do?
“Go home,” I call, my voice traveling far. “This is your last chance. We won’t start a massacre,” I state, glancing back at my cousins. “But we will defend ourselves.”
The girl I’ve just saved is the first to move, walking backward, her baffled eyes on me. They slowly disperse one by one, so I finally make my way inside.
Everything hurts. My limbs, my insides, my brain, and my heart.
“Alis—”
“Stay away.” I glare at Reiks. I can’t believe he’d support the annihilation of so many for the sake of the few, but that’s not why I want him gone.
Whatever shields existed in my mind? They’re gone. My powers flow around me, covering everything I touch, swirling along the air, finally free. I’m dangerous right now. Especially given how angry I am.
“All of you, stay out of my way.”
My feet are slower than I want them to be, and each step hurts, so I take to the air again and fly to the Tower of Magiks.
I land right on my windowsill, and push my way inside. Eyes closed, I scan the area, and find it empty. Perfect. The ground shakes as the roots of every nearby tree travel through the ground and rise up to bar every entry. Thorns twist along the walls, sharp and infused with enough ill will to keep any weaker mind at bay.
It’s my cousins’ dorm, as well as quite a few demis, so I shouldn’t commandeer it. Too bad for them.
I will my tub into filling itself with warm water and step inside. It’s not nearly as comfortable as Reiks’, but it’ll do.
When I went down and crashed earlier, I should have died. The only reason I didn’t is because I’m something else, something different I can’t understand. Already, the pain striking my limbs is fading. I’ll be fine before morning.
Those who oppose me? Not so much. I struggled not to attack my cousins and peers moments ago, and if I’d done so? They would have died, every single one of them. If I take them on, I’m no different than they are: a superior creature playing God.
